Talk Me Down
by The Star Thief
Summary: AU: come over now and talk me down. She saw the waves crashing against the rocks. It was a long way down.


_A/N: I was watching Troye Sivan's Blue Neighborhood trilogy. I'm not sure why I chose to style it the way it did. I guess I just found it fitting.  
x~x is a slight time change, still same age._

* * *

~childhood~

Cleo never liked the water.  
She was seven when she first went into a pool. Emma was by her side.  
Emma taught her how to swim.  
They were best friends.

Cleo showed Emma her new fish.  
His name was Pluto.  
Emma got Cleo another fish for her birthday the following year.  
Cleo taught Emma all about her salt water fish.  
Emma enjoyed listening to her best friend talk about something she loved.

They were at the beach, looking for shells.  
Only Emma found one. She gave it to Cleo.  
They were going to look for more but Emma had to go.

On the ride home, she could smell something bitter on her father's breath.  
He wasn't himself that night.

They were on the pier. It was sunny.  
Cleo had just finished her lessons from Emma.  
She still didn't want to go into the water.  
Emma wanted her to go in with her. She suggested jumping in.  
Cleo shook her head no.  
Emma held out her hand. After pausing Cleo took it.  
Cleo always felt like she could do anything with Emma at her side.

~sixteen~

They kissed fervently. Her hand moved to the hem of Emma's shirt.  
Her hazel eyes glanced up questioning. The blonde gave and same nod.  
Her shirt was discarded.  
Her hands were in the brunette's hair. "I love you." Emma whispered in Cleo ear before leaving a trail of kisses along her neck.  
Cleo pushed her back onto the bed. "I love you too."

The door handle jiggled.  
Emma scrambled to get her top back on and unlock the door.  
Cleo grabbed the textbook that had been thrown onto the ground forgotten.  
It was Emma's mum.  
She looked at the two of them, plate of snacks and said one thing. "You got lucky. Your father will be home soon."  
It was a warning.

x~x

Emma was crying on Cleo's shoulder.  
Elliot that was going to be the name of her little brother.  
He was buried with their mother earlier that week.  
Emma lost the only person she felt safe around.  
Cleo's heart was breaking for her.  
She placed a kiss on her girlfriend's forehead and held her tightly while sobs racked her body.

x~x

She didn't have to see the person approaching to know it was Cleo.  
All she had to see was the way her father tensed. "What's that little-"

 _If she comes back her I'll kill you both._ The words rang in her head.  
Hastily she put a hand on her father's shoulder. "I'll take care of it."

Cleo was smiling when Emma came up to her.

Her heart felt like lead. "What are you doing here?"  
Cleo's smile fell at Emma's hostile tone.

"I was just checking up on you." She was taken back.  
"If I did anything I'm sorry. I'll make it up to you."

"You can make it up by leaving."

"Ouch. I'll pretend that didn't sting. Seriously Em, what gotten into you?"

Nervously Emma turned her head.  
Her father had his back turned, he was walking to get something from the house.  
Her voice was urgent and fearful. "You can't come back."  
She was fighting back tears. "Its for your own good. You have to leave. Please."

"Emma." Cleo could she the pain in those blue eyes that glanced back at the house.

"I hate you." Cleo stumbled back from the force of the shove and the words.  
She sworn she could have hear Emma mumble and apology when she shoved her.

" _Fuck_ off." Those words Cleo was certain she heard.

It was the last thing Emma told her before walking back to her father.  
As she walked away, she could hear Emma's father his daughter.

~sixteen~

Ash. Lewis told Cleo the name of Emma boyfriend. She and Emma had seen each other let alone spoken since she yelled at her.  
Cleo passed them in the halls. Emma hadn't even looked her way, but she didn't look at Ash either.  
They were holding hands, Emma had on her best forced smile.  
It fooled everyone.  
Expect Cleo. She knew Emma inside and out.  
She was the one person, beside maybe Emma's mum, that could see through all the forced smiles and fake laughs.  
Emma was hurting more than ever and there was nothing she could do to help.

~seventeen~

In spite of everything, Emma loved her father.  
She placed the bouquet of flower on top of the others.  
He was next to her mother and brother.

The memories hit her.

He came home from long hours and would still play tea party with her.  
He sipped he tea and ate the sweets. He joke with his little princess,  
About how the tea was too strong, too sweet. But he put more sugar in anyway.

She learned he like something a lot stronger than tea.  
Grey Goose and Jack Daniels bottles where in the cupboard.  
Mum never let her near that stuff that her father always smelt like.  
It made his anger. She didn't know why he drank it.  
She hated the sound of a fist contacting flesh and the terrified screams that went with it.

He taught her how to ride a bike.  
For some reason she had trouble getting the hang of it.  
"It's cause you're part fish. You're faster in the water.  
Learning to ride this thing isn't necessary."  
He made her laugh when she feel, scraping her knees several times.  
Emma did love swimming. "My little mermaid princess."

After Mom died, she saw him drinking even more.  
She was one the receiving end of his punches now.  
Better her than Cleo.

Ash wiped away the tears streaming down her face.  
It brought her back to reality. From the corner of her eye,  
She saw Cleo.  
Ash kissed her forehead, just like Cleo did when she needed comforting.  
She pushed him away. "I need to be alone."

x~x

She saw Cleo sitting her. She felt even more nauseated.  
She tapped her on the shoulder. She stood up and locked eyes.  
Familiar arms pulled her in for a hug. She wept uncontrollably.

Her head began to swarm with memories.  
Ash called her name. They broke apart.

Her head still buzzing with long repressed memories.

Her closest friend.  
Her father's drinking ruined one of their play date; they were at the beach  
Her first kiss.  
Her first threat; she saw them changing a kiss before she walked in the house  
Her first love.  
Her father's fist colliding with her, but still the words stung even more  
Her last words to her; Emma hurt the only person that never hurt her  
The words she's heard from her father all her life.

x~x

Emma looked over the cliff's edge water crashed against the jagged rocks.  
It was a long way down.  
The wind cut through the thin material of her dress, she had had gone completely numb to the cold.

Another memory tugged at her mind. They were at the pier.

She removed of each her shoes.

 _"Cleo why are you wearing still your shoes?"_

 _"Because I'm not going in."_

She tossed them aside.

 _"Yes you are."_

 _"What if the water's cold?"_

 _"It's going to be, silly. Look how sunny it is!"_

The waves pounded the rock. It was going to be cold.

 _"But what if-"_

 _"We'll jump into together. Just get it over with real quick._ "

She took several steps back.

 _"Together?"_

 _"Together."_

 _The pier was hot from the sun. They ran quickly.  
As if their feet would burn if they stood still for too long._

The ground was damp from the rain. She rain quickly.

Still numb to the cold, but not the pain.

 _The end of the pier was coming, she turned to Cleo who was smiling._

The end of the cliff was coming, she closed her eyes. She wasn't smiling.

* * *

 _A/N: So yeah, that's it. Hope you enjoy! Please give me feedback. (seriously, if a get a comment i read it)_

 _So the ending for Blue Neighborhood._  
 _It was implied that he jumped, but you don't actually see him (but its safe to assume he did)._  
 _So you could have hope that maybe some one found him and well talked him down._  
 _Unfortunately, in real life no everyone has people to support them._  
 _nonprofit organization to help prevent suicide in the LGBTA plus community. If you can donate or spread the word._  
 _it is just heartbreaking to realize that is what the videos show reality for people._


End file.
